I'm Old

Why do people post articles on Facebook with no commentary, and just links to 8 of their friends? If they think the article's of interest to those 8 friends, what's wrong with email?

Basically I'm sick of seeing like, breastfeeding articles with a list of names in front of it.

MY KINGDOM FOR A COAT

In October 2010, I bought the world's most perfect coat. The J. Crew "icon trench" in a camel-colored wool-cashmere blend. It was gorgeous, soft, warm, and fit me perfectly. Even the sleeves! I wore it every day for three and a half years, until The Coat started falling apart. The wool was worn out on my left side, where I carry a shoulder bag, the sides were dotted with tiny holes, and the lining more or less in shreds. "Please tell me you don't wear this to work," my mother recently said. But I do: once a week or so, I just can't resist. I'm a short person, guys, with particularly stumpy arms. Fit-wise, this coat is a unicorn.

Enjoying my coat in its heyday.

Three and a half years isn't so long for a coat, but I loved my J. Crew icon trench enough to want another one, lack of longevity and apparent shoddy manufacturing quality be damned. Naturally, J. Crew has stopped making it in petite sizes. I tried the new version in a regular fit, and it was a boxy mess. Time to look for something else.

Stupid regular-length sleeves.

I set course for the land of Puffer Jackets, ordering the exorbitantly priced Ghost Whisperer Down Parka from Mountain Hardwear.

The picture failed to tip me off that the Ghost Whisperer Down Parka is fitted for a teenage boy. Returned. I didn't want a puffer anyway. I continued alternating my ski coat and beloved tattered trench for the morning commute, alternating my look between "prep school teenager" and "chic hobo." But with the average temperature hovering around nineteen degrees these days, I wanted a permanent solution.

Finally, I went coat shopping with my mom last weekend and tried on every single coat that the Short Hills Mall sells. In case you don't believe me, I tried on coats at: Nordstrom, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Reiss, Coach, Talbots, and Brooks Brothers. NOTHING.

Well, guess what guys. We live in a world of modern technology, but I didn't even need to live in 2014 to find my precious: I turned to a website founded in 1995. No apps. No Etsy. I found my coat on good old-fashioned eBay.

EBAY!!!!

I didn't have to settle for some non-J. Crew non-icon non-trench. I found my exact coat, new-with-tags, in a petite size, for the same price I paid back in 2010. And I ordered it. It arrives next week.

Heavenly choirs, angels sing.

If the sleeves are too long, I will cry.

Things I Have That I Love, Part 2

It's the post you've been waiting three and a half years for... Part Two of Things I Have That I Love! I just looked at Part One and MAN our cats were thinner then.

Anyway, it's been a snowy mess in New York for the past week, so I wanted to give a shoutout to the purchase that's gotten me through it.

The Ugg Adirondack Boot II. Unlike regular Uggs, which in snow and rain have the traction of a slightly improved flip-flop (I was wearing a pair the day of my nasty fall), these puppies act like crampons in icy weather. They survived their initial test last year, when I went sledding with my niece and nephew in Denver, and have recently accompanied me to work on a daily basis. I smile at these boots as I trudge through snow and rain, congratulating myself and my warm, dry, never overheated feet for this spendy purchase. Recommended.

Even more highly recommended: moving to southern California, where these boots would be rendered superfluous.

Weekend Happenings

On Friday, I was confidently bounding across the street in the midst of an icy rainstorm when my feet went out from under me, and I landed flat on my back. OW. I went home, changed, put on my they-might-as-well-have-suction-cups-on-the-soles rain boots, gingerly picked my way to the subway, stopped, and asked out loud, "What am I doing?" My neck was already starting to hurt. I'd hit my head. I went home and spent the rest of the day lying on the couch with a heating pad, watching the entire first season of Lost Girl on Netflix, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and the movie Side Effects, which I did not.

On Saturday, I rallied enough to make it to Lyndhurst, New Jersey, to fulfill a childhood dream.

MEDIEVAL TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED IT TO BE AND MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (By "more," I mean there was beer). Sadly, our hero the Green Knight was eliminated almost instantly. Our realm still feels the shame.

On Sunday, Dan and I took it easy to recuperate from all the excitement.

At some point, I made this thing:

It's a whole head of cauliflower simmered in broth, and then roasted. It get a little crunch on the outside with a subtle flavor from the simmer. You're supposed to serve it with whipped goat cheese, but I just mixed some mayo with minced garlic and a pinch of paprika for a cheat's aioli. It was really good! I don't repeat recipes very often, but I have to remember to make this one again - it would be a great dinner party dish, because it's visually very cool, especially if you present it whole at the table.

That was the weekend. My back and neck are still unfortunately hella sore, but that's life. Be careful in the ice-rain.

NYE2014

It's very important to drink good champagne while making a New Year's dinner.

We were going to celebrate 2014 in Hoboken, but as snow began to fall, it began to sink in that crossing the Hudson after midnight takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r and we definitely wouldn't be able to find a cab once we got off the PATH. Plus we were a bit wiped from our trip to Chicago. So we stayed home.

I got out of work early and spent a small fortune at Eataly on wild-caught fish and chanterelle mushrooms. After a small, virtuous salad, we dug into some indulgences.

Fettucine with truffle butter and wild mushrooms:

Red snapper with lemon butter and baby potatoes:

(This was really good. The last time I made fish at home it was Spanish mackerel, and as much as I wanted to enjoy such a cheap, healthy, sustainable fish, I gagged and spat it out. It's good for sushi, though). 

Then I made molten chocolate cakes, but it turns out that you CANNOT substitute a cupcake tin for individual ramekins, as the Internet may have you believe. They completely fell apart. So, here's a picture from the cookbook:

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. I mean, they tasted good.

Then Dan tried to put Carla in a box for our entertainment, which she really enjoyed. 

Happy New Year!